Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Need help in purging your negative conditioning? Listen to my
guided meditation, which is titled "Mass Hypnosis Party":
http://bit.ly/vFOVn7
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Facebook fan page: bit.ly/BrezFB
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My book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Below is a book excerpt. To get the full effect, including a
picture of the Medicine Spell itself, go here: bit.ly/7AnA6W
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE SPELL
Being a devotee of pronoia doesn't mean you will never have another
difficult or painful experience. It doesn't obligate you to pretend
that everything is perfectly right with the world. You don't have
to cover your eyes whenever you come into proximity to a daily
newspaper.
On the other hand, we're not going to waste our valuable space
or your precious energy by giving equal time to stories of tragedy,
failure, and tumult. They get far more than their fair share of
attention everywhere else. Future historians might even conclude
that our age suffered from a collective obsessive-compulsive disorder:
the pathological need to repetitively seek out reasons for how
bad life is.
Still, we feel the need to push a bit further in our acknowledgment
of all the confusing evils of the world. We realize that what
we've said so far may not be sufficient to satisfy the paranoid
cynics, who include among their number many well-respected thinkers.
Unless we demonstrate that we have some mastery of their ideology,
they'll dismiss us as intellectual pussies. They will need proof
that we're familiar with the data they favor.
We've decided, therefore, to launch a preemptive strike that
will make it harder for the paranoids to dismiss us pronoiacs
as naive optimists. On the next page and at four other places
in this book, we've created Homeopathic Medicine Spells. They're
designed to recognize the evils of the world, but in a controlled
manner that prevents them from poisoning you. In this way, we
can also practice what we preach, subverting any tendencies we
might have toward fanaticism and unilateralism.
Each Homeopathic Medicine Spell consists of a contained space
within which lies a recitation of Very Bad Things. The border
around each space is a magical seal that we consecrated during
a ritual invocation of the Cackling Goddess Who Eternally Creates
Us Anew. Inspired through communion with Her fierce jokes, we
also surrounded each seal with good mojo in the form of word charms
and talismanic symbols.
As you gaze at the Homeopathic Medicine Spells, you'll be building
up your protection against the dangers named inside the contained
space. You'll also get intuitions about how to dissolve the pop
nihilistic toxins within you that resonate with those dangers.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
MAYBE THE GOOD NEWS IS AS WORTHY OF REPORTING AS THE OTHER KIND
A follow-up on some of 2011's good news stories
tinyurl.com/73bxuj6
WHAT IF 2012 IS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE OF APOCALYPSE?
This Changes Everything -- How the 99% woke up: a book
about how the Occupy movement is shifting the way people view
themselves and the world, the kind of society they believe is
possible, and their own involvement in creating a society that
works for the 99% rather than just the 1%.
tinyurl.com/85v7wpc
ONE WAY TO RESPOND TO NEGATIVITY
Baby laughs hysterically at the ripping up of a job rejection
letter
tinyurl.com/6ccakzm
THE EVIDENCE KEEPS ACCUMULATING
A compendium of pronoiac news.
PronoiaResources.com
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 16
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
A sign outside the Apostolic Bible Church in Bathurst, New Brunswick
invited worshipers to meditate on a conundrum: "Why didn't
Noah swat those two mosquitoes?" After all, if the builder
of the Ark had refused to help the pesky insects survive the flood,
we'd be free of their torment today. (Or so the allegorical argument
goes.) Please apply this lesson to a situation in your own sphere,
Pisces. As you journey to your new world, leave the vexatious
elements behind.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
What do you typically do just before you fall asleep and right
after you wake up? Those rituals are important for your mental
health. Without exaggeration, you could say they are sacred times
when you're poised in the threshold between the two great dimensions
of your life. I'll ask you to give special care and attention
to those transitions in the coming week. As much as possible,
avoid watching TV or surfing the Internet right up to the moment
you turn off the light, and don't leap out of bed the instant
an alarm clock detonates. The astrological omens suggest you are
primed to receive special revelations, even ringing epiphanies,
while in those in-between states.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Have you ever gazed into the eyes of goats? If you have, you
know that their pupils are rectangular when dilated. This quirk
allows them to have a field of vision that extends as far as 340
degrees, as opposed to humans' puny 160-210 degrees. They can
also see better at night than we can. Goats are your power animal
in the coming week, Taurus. Metaphorically speaking, you will
have an excellent chance to expand your breadth and depth of vision.
Do you have any blind spots that need to be illuminated? Now's
the time to make that happen.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In the animated film The Lion King, two of the central
characters are a talking meerkat named Timon and a talking warthog
named Pumbaa. Their actions are often heroic. They help the star
of the tale, Simba, rise to his rightful role as king. The human
actors who provided the voices for Timon and Pumbaa, Nathan Lane
and Ernie Sabella, originally auditioned for the lesser roles
of hyenas. They set their sights too low. Fortunately fate conspired
to give them more than what they asked for. Don't start out as
they did, Gemini. Aim high right from the beginning -- not for
the bit part or the minor role but rather for the catalyst who
actually gets things done.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
"He who is outside his door already has a hard part of his
journey behind him," says a Dutch proverb. Ancient Roman
writer Marcus Terentius Varro articulated a similar idea: "The
longest part of the journey is the passing of the gate."
I hope these serve as words of encouragement for you, Cancerian.
You've got a quest ahead of you. At its best, it will involve
freewheeling exploration and unpredictable discoveries. If you
can get started in a timely manner, you'll set an excellent tone
for the adventures. Don't procrastinate.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
You're so close to finding a fresh perspective that would allow
you to outmaneuver an old torment, Leo. You're on the verge of
breaking through a wall of illusion that has sealed you off from
some very interesting truths. In the hope of providing you with
the last little push that will take you the rest of the way, I
offer two related insights from creativity specialist Roger von
Oech: 1. If you get too fixated on solving a certain problem,
you may fail to notice a new opportunity that arises outside the
context of that problem. 2. If you intensify your focus by looking
twice as hard at a situation that's right in front of you, you
will be less likely to see a good idea that's right behind you.
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THE OTHER VERSION OF FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter,
I create audio horoscopes for your inspiration. They discuss themes
and cover material that I don't have room to deal with in the
written horoscopes.
They're $6 if you access them on the Web (with discounts for
multiple buys), or $1.99 per minute over the phone.
Try them at RealAstrology.com.
By phone: 1-877-873-4888
"I always feel like I know myself better after listening
to your audio 'scopes."
- June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and
pep me up when I'm down."
- Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Thirty-two carrier pigeons were awarded medals by the United
Kingdom for their meritorious service in the World Wars. Of course,
they probably would have preferred sunflower seeds and peanuts
as their prize. Let that lesson guide you as you bestow blessings
on the people and animals that have done so much for you, Virgo.
Give them goodies they would actually love to receive, not meaningless
gold stars or abstract accolades. It's time to honor and reward
your supporters with practical actions that suit them well.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The caterpillar-to-butterfly transformation is such an iconic
symbol of metamorphosis that it has become a cliche. And yet I'd
like to point out that when the graceful winged creature emerges
from its chrysalis, it never grows any further. We human beings,
on the other hand, are asked to be in a lifelong state of metamorphosis,
continually adjusting and shifting to meet our changing circumstances.
I'll go so far as to say that having a readiness to be in continual
transformation is one of the most beautiful qualities a person
can have. Are you interested in cultivating more of that capacity,
Libra? Now would be an excellent time to do so. Remember that
line by Bob Dylan: "He who is not busy being born is busy
dying."
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
This would be an excellent time to round up a slew of new role
models. In my astrological opinion, you need to feel far more
than your usual levels of admiration for exceptional human beings.
You're in a phase when you could derive tremendous inspiration
by closely observing masters and virtuosos and pros who are doing
what you would like to do. For that matter, your mental and spiritual
health would be profoundly enhanced by studying anyone who has
found what he or she was born to do and is doing it with liberated
flair.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
WD-40 is a spray product that prevents corrosion, loosens stuck
hinges, removes hard-to-get-at dirt, and has several other uses.
Its inventor, Norm Larsen, tried 39 different formulas before
finding the precisely right combination of ingredients on his
fortieth attempt. The way I understand your life right now, Sagittarius,
is that you are like Larsen when he was working with version number
37. You're getting closer to creating a viable method for achieving
your next success. That's why I urge you to be patient and determined
as you continue to tinker and experiment. Don't keep trying the
same formula that didn't quite work before. Open your mind to
the possibility that you have not yet discovered at least one
of the integral components.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
A person who emits a huge angry shout produces just .001 watt
of energy. Even if he or she yelled continuously 24/7, it would
still take a year and nine months to produce enough energy to
heat a cup of coffee. That's one way to metaphorically illustrate
my bigger point, which is that making a dramatic show of emotional
agitation may feel powerful but is often a sign of weakness. Please
take this to heart in the coming week, Capricorn. If you do fall
prey to a frothy eruption of tumultuous feelings, use all of your
considerable willpower to maintain your poise. Better yet, abort
the tumult before it detonates. This is one time when repressing
negative feelings will be healthy, wealthy, and wise.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Jeep vehicles always feature seven slots on their front grills.
Why? For the manufacturer, it's a symbolic statement proclaiming
the fact that Jeep was the first vehicle driven on all seven continents.
Let's take that as your cue, Aquarius. Your assignment is to pick
an accomplishment you're really proud of and turn it into an emblem,
image, glyph, or talisman that you can wear or express. If nothing
else, draw it on dusty car windows, write it on bathroom walls,
or add it to a Facebook status update. The key thing is that you
use a public forum to celebrate yourself for a significant success,
even if it's in a modest or mysterious way.
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HOMEWORK:
Do you have an antidote for the ceaseless barrage of depressing
stories you absorb from the news media? Tell all at FreeWillAstrology.com;
click "Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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